


Fire and Shadow - A Love Story

by Nightsidesamurai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 08:51:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9598097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightsidesamurai/pseuds/Nightsidesamurai
Summary: A what if tale about Arthur Weasley and Narcissa Black. What if Arthur was influenced by his grandmother to continue a tradition of pure blooded marriages? What if he fell in love with Narcissa Black?





	

The shadowy room felt empty despite the thin haggard man slouched in a wooden chair. His breath is ragged and his blue eyes tired. Beneath the soot and grease, his hair is red and his skin pale. He wears a black suit, many times sewn and patched, and though it fits him well he doesn’t seem comfortable. 

Arthur Weasley’s day has been a long one, longer still now that he has returned to his empty home. He used to take pride in his work but now? Now he is just empty. He cannot remember when exactly he had chosen to become the man sitting in the chair but he would not have changed it.

He didn’t know how long he sat there but eventually he found some motivation to get himself up and into the shabby bathroom. Arthur pulled the chain dangling from the ceiling and one satisfying click later he found himself face to face with himself in the mirror. He was lucky that it had been fire this time, it burned away most of the blood, at the beginning at least.

The sink quickly filled with filthy water as he wiped the ash from his hands and face, the only thing remaining from his pursuers, and felt a bit more human. No amount of water would erase his sins but at least he could pretend that there wasn’t a stain on his soul. A man could not become a killer and remain the same. Idealism was a memory of dream he once had, but this Arthur couldn’t remember the truth of it anymore.

A dim memory floats to the surface of his mind as he washes the filth of the day away in front of the broken bathroom mirror. It was a time when he still a played the hero and there was a damsel in distress. Arthur Weasley, Gryffindor to a tee, and a damn fool. But he couldn’t help but smile a little. It was the first time he had met Narcissa.

***

The sun was shining on Arthur Weasley’s first day of his 5th year at Hogwarts and he could not be happier. An odd boy with a clever sense of humor, he found himself often the center of attention, laughter following his steps. This year he had ridden without his older brothers looking over him and found that without their constant protection, he could make friends and have some fun.

For Arthur this was a strange a sensation as he had always felt a bit out of place amongst his peers. While he was as brave and loyal as anyone else in Gryffindor, he had a fascination with muggles and their things in a time when it was not thought well of to be involved with the non-magical. His own mother had been disowned for marrying beneath her station and while did not have much involvement with the Black side of the family, he was still expected to correspond with his aging grandmother and inform her of his pursuits.

Grandmother Ella had begun writing unexpectedly to Arthur only two years ago, acting as if she had never been gone. Arthur had wondered if maybe she had grown sentimental as she got older or if the old Slytherin had decided that her grandson might be a useful ally to have at a time when she might not have many. Cedrella Weasley encouraged her son to write back, perhaps hoping to unite their family once again. Arthur shared his ambitions and academic achievements, downplaying involvement in house activities (at his mother’s suggestion) and soon the letters flowed back and forth.

Arthur thought on the last letter he received, the day before he left for Hogwarts and the favor his grandmother had asked. All the letters made more sense and he couldn’t help respect the old woman. As he left the train surrounded by his laughing friends, he spotted a small girl with two-tone hair, black and blonde, and the circle of children pointing and laughing. 

“A Black has a responsibility to family. Even a half-Weasley like you carries the pure blood of your mother’s side. I hope that I have been able to impart on you how important your blood is and why it must be protected”. Grandmother’s words rang in his head as he pushed his way through the group, his wand firmly in his hand. “Leave her alone, jerks. Back up!” The jeers quieted a bit but the animosity displayed by the other students was palpable as he stared them down.

They were mostly younger 2nd and 3rd years, not quite strong enough to face him down individually but together? Arthur didn’t think about that in the moment though, only that his cousin Narcissa needed his help. He hadn’t ever met the girl but his grandmother spoke of her often in their letters and she had sent over a picture of the girl in a more recent correspondence. The girl had a distinctive and distinguished look about her, straight hair both blonde and black, and a piercing gaze that belied her young age. She didn’t shrink back from the group of bullies and simply stared them down. Arthur could respect that in the girl and decided she was worth defending.

“What do you care about this little Black brat Arthur? It’s just a bit of teasing anyways, rich girl can handle it can’t she?” The nearest bully to the girl gave her a shove and without a thought Arthur’s wand came up, the tip glowing and the whisper of a curse on his tongue. “Do you want to take the chance? I did just learn a fun new curse. Maybe you’ll help me test it out? I hear it’s a blast”. Everyone backed up a bit, the threat enough to sour the crowd on the whole experience. Narcissa looked up at him then, the hint of admiration in her eyes and the smallest of smirks touching the side of her mouth. “Thank you Arthur, but I’m sure our friends were just having a bit of fun. We should probably not blast the platform to pieces, there are still other students arriving after all”.

The other students, well aware of Arthur’s reputation as a duelist and already losing interest in the shy girl they had targeted, nodded their assent. Arthur smiled and lowered his wand, “Of course, just a bit of fun. Let’s get you inside, you’re going to late for the sorting!” The bullies dispersed quickly after that, and Arthur led the girl inside.

Years later he couldn’t quite remember what they had talked about in that brief walk into the school. But he remembered her bravery and her poise. He couldn’t have known then that saving her that day would change his life.


End file.
